MidWinter's Night Terror
by Anya Somers
Summary: Winchester brothers have taken sisters Roxi and Stella into the bunker for some hunter training, (AU where Demon!Dean is not as much a callous jerk). Sam comes down with selective memory loss. Slight Doctor Who crossover with the mention of Martha Jones & the creature, Carrionites.
1. Chapter 1

The bunker was dark, shrouded in the sleepy dreams of the Winchester brothers. Strange shuffling noises disrupted the silence that Castiel usually savored at night in the bunker. Castiel followed the noises. He had left from watching Dean sleep, and passed Sam's door, so he guessed it was neither of the brothers. He stepped into the kitchen cautiously, although his Angel senses had already determined that it was Jayna. He surveyed the room anyway, trying to discern if anything was amiss and he might have to alert the Winchesters.

Jayna was a friend of the Winchesters. She had befriended Sam Winchester in his demon blood days; and had crossed paths with the brothers a few times, one time in particular when she was attending a convention for Psychics, and they were on a hunt. Castiel had met her for the first time officially the previous summer, when her nieces were having issues with a poltergeist car. Jayna was a powerful psychic, but tried to keep her outward presence to less woo-woo and more hippy chick, wearing flowered dresses and skirts, beaded necklaces, and large circular hoop earrings. In her tattered jean shorts and tie-dyed t-shirt, the tattoo of a crescent moon and a star danced on her ankle as she swept. She did not start when the Angel entered the room, but said, "I couldn't sleep." Castiel acknowledged this with a nod as he watched her continue to clean the kitchen. It had already been cleaned properly, but the mortal still swept on. "I am wondering if I am doing the right thing – Bringing those girls here." He knew she was referring to her nieces, who were both away at college.

Cas cocked his head towards Jayna, "They will be here tomorrow. You can send them away." He didn't see the issue. He had met both Stella and Roxi DeLuci; they were easy going, low maintenance young ladies. If Jayna didn't want them in the bunker, they would understand.

She smiled at the logical angel, "No I can't." Cas exhaled loudly as if he didn't comprehend her meaning, "I want them to be able to defend themselves, Cas. Really defend themselves – against the real monsters that threaten all of us out there. Roxi can take any woman or man in hand to hand combat and Stella can shoot an arrow or a gun through anyone's heart, or eyeball, or whatever it is she is aiming at. But that isn't enough. I want them to have the knowledge that Sam & Dean have. Just a little bit of it." Even though the girls were usually at college; they had a break for the Christmas/New Years Holiday. When she had mentioned the possibility of a trip to see Sam & Dean after the Christmas feast was past, the girls jumped at the chance to get out of their parental unit's house, and back on the road. The experience with the Winchesters last summer had sparked a desire in both of them to know more about this secret world of hunters, monsters, demons, angels and the ongoing battles. For Jayna it showed her a world that endangered her girls, even more than the complex and overwhelming every day life of a college girl. And that scared her, scared her enough to want to arm them the best she could.

Cas glanced around the room, and towards the hallway, distractedly, "Where is the cat? Zeke? You did not bring her." Cas had bonded with the cat the last time they met. He recalled Zeke favorably. The cat with the name of his brother.

Jayna chuckled at the angel, "No she's with a friend." Not that she would even consider bringing her pet on a trip to Kansas, not to mention Dean would probably freak out.

"She does not like it when you leave. She is worried that the skinny one will not feed her. And doesn't give her enough treats that smell like tuna." Cas disclosed.

"Did she say that?" Jayna couldn't stop her giggling from erupting, "She is in good hands, believe me."

Cas shook his head disapprovingly, "She does not like it." He paused and continued on a different path, "I can help you sleep. I help Dean sometimes."

Jayna's head shot up in alarm, and stuttered, "No. Nope. What you do for Dean is your own business. I am good."

Cas squinted at her questioning, not exactly sure what she was referring to, rubbed his hands together, "It is just a light touch to the forehead, Dean calls it the Angel's kiss…"

"I'm good Cas." She laughed again, shaking her head. She had finished the kitchen. The floor sparkled, and she enjoyed the clean smell of pine cleaner. "I am going to put the clean sheets on the girls' beds, you can help with that."

Cas accepted the sheets into his hands, feeling the cool cotton between his fingertips, "Then I will make you some warm milk. That is supposed to help you sleep."

Jayna hid her grimace at the idea, never being a fan of warm milk in general, as she left the kitchen towards the bedroom, but consented, "That would be very sweet of you Castiel. I would love that." Although her words were pleased and agreeable, Cas heard the trepidation in her voice, he wondered at that as he followed her to the bedrooms, the sheets in hand.

* * *

><p>The sisters' arrival was met with a contradiction of emotions: "What's the point of having a hidden bunker when all it takes is a little psychic juice to find us?" Dean complained. Sam ignored the comment, and decided not to remind Dean that they had both agreed to the visit, AND had given Jayna directions to their location. He decided Dean was just pretending to be crotchety, especially once the girls arrived he welcomed both with a genuine smile and warm enveloping hugs. It didn't hurt that Roxi came bearing a homemade pie that Dean confiscated and hid all for himself.<p>

Stella was particularly attentive to the angel, interrogating him first off; asking him persuasive questions about his health, and the state of his grace. Cas tried to answer honestly, but the fate of his grace was still a mystery to himself. He had no way to gauge how much time he had left, or how much grace he had expended. Some days he felt like his old self; other days he did not want to get out of bed. (and yes, sometimes, he slept). He also still was uncertain about the attention from the young woman and how to handle it.

"Well, You two look good." Sam attempted to ease the awkwardness that he was feeling at having visitors in the bunker. They were still the gorgeous petite young ladies he remembered. Strangers would be surprised that they were even sisters. Roxi with her long ebony curls cascading down her back in luxurious rivers, doe-like brown eyes, Mediterranean complexion, dressed in black sporting piercings, black eye liner and red lipstick. Stella, with her hair highlighted with blonde streaks (either by the sun or the bottle), light eyes and skin, layered in a cardigan and a scarf, unassuming but shamelessly indomitable. But something was different about them, but Sam couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something about the way they carried themselves. When he first met them last year they were two giggly unsure college girls. But something in their posture and presentation spoke of an inner strength and loss of naiveté. The latter he wasn't sure how he felt about, feeling that it was partially because of their introduction into the world of monsters.

Jayna beamed proudly over her nieces. Traveling hadn't weakened their feminine glow. Stella's blue green eyes were still dazzling and curious, her hair thrown back off of her face, her smile was her usual bright and consuming. Roxi stood confidant and strong, showing off her latest piercing, a barbell in the top of her ear. She also made it a point to show off her new belly button ring, but Jayna guessed she was more showing off her even more toned abs that were even more toned than the last time they saw her. She had taken to spending time in a Martial Arts' dojo, learning new defense techniques, and her body was leaner and harder because of it. When he hugged her, Dean playfully wrapped her long silky curls around his fingers, pulling her tighter against him, forcing Roxi to stifle her urge to giggle.

Stella pulled her bag behind her, heading directly for the bunker door, "I. can. Not. Wait. To see what this bunker is all about." Her voice nearly broke in anticipation. "I mean, a real life hunter's hideout. Wow."

Sam of course needed to correct her, "Actually it's a Men of Letters bunker. They were like hunters, except a little more science and research focused."

"Receptors, observers, beholders, chroniclers of mysteries not easily explainable or known to men." Dean recanted somewhat sarcastically as if he were mocking their doctrines, as if their focus on the science/intellectual side of his profession was unsavory to his bad ass attitude. None of the gals believed his façade. In fact Jayna patted his arm quite condescendingly.

"Whatever. We want a full tour. All of it, the dungeon and everything." Stella rolled on the balls of her feet at the door. Sam sighed, taking her bag, as Dean took Roxi's, and led the visitors into the bowels of their very own Bat-cave.


	2. Chapter 2

"I tore my favorite dress shirt!" Sam complained, standing over the dead vampire. It had been the usual struggle. Punches and shoves, a mix of who was winning or losing, ending in the final dramatic decapitation by Dean, splattering vamp blood all over the front of Sam's grey FBI suit, and white dress shirt. Sam held up the shirt hem to Dean, one of their knives had sliced up the front of him, grazing his skin, but tearing the shirt, "It's ruined!"

Dean shrugged, wiping the vampire blood off his blade, "Be glad I missed." To which Sam responded with a 'thanks Bro' sneer.

"This was a fairly cut and dry, easy case. We should have brought the girls." Dean suggested as Sam slammed the trunk to the Impala closed.

Dean was referring to Stella and Roxi. Normally having two gorgeous girls show up, ready to stay the night, would be a blessing to Dean. Especially in his devil-may-care demon state. But Dean was still struggling with the idea that they were something close to 10 years younger than Sam or Dean. It made him feel old.

"They are not ready for a hunt, Dean. Not to mention, Jayna would kill us."

Dean explained, trying to validate his point. "Jayna brought them to us. Jayna was right. Stella is fantastic with weapons; we saw that on the shooting range. And Roxi has a natural talent for hand-to-hand." He rubbed his chin for effect, as he was the recipient of one of her latest right hooks.

"You are an idiot for daring her, Jayna says she's been training non-stop since last summer, at the gym, boxing ring, martial art dojo, wherever she could get in." Sam almost laughed. Dean shook his head. Both of the DeLuci girls were petite little ladies, cute and gorgeous rolled up into a little tiny package. With enough spitfire and sass to spare. Even Cas got a kick out of them.

"How long is their winter break anyway?" Dean inquired, not remembering much of school year schedules.

"Until mid January, I think. After Christmas with their parents, Jayna pretty much kidnapped them, and brought them to the bunker."

Dean responded with a shake of his head, "I get it, she wants them to know what to do to defend themselves if they are in _our_ kinds of situations, but who really wants to spend winter break in a secret underground bunker? Shouldn't they be in Cabo or something?"

Sam looked at his phone, "text from Jayna, we have to pick something up on the way home."

Dean didn't know if he wanted to growl rebelliously or titter in familial pride. It was nice to have other people around other than him and Sam sometimes.

* * *

><p>The haggard gaunt woman stood over the cast iron bowl, stirring in a mixture that included various roots, herbs. She recited a long worn poem, delicately dropping in the last, most crucial ingredient,<p>

"_If the red slayer think he slays, __  
><em>_Or if the slain think he is slain, __  
><em>_They know not well the subtle ways__  
><em>_I keep, and pass, and turn again. Far or forgot to me is near_"**. She whispered the word "Forget …. Forget…" until the brew boiled and bubbled a faint green tone, with the scent of a summer's day fresh mowed lawn. She smiled to herself. Yes, that would do.

From her shelf she pulled down a tattered cloth, ripped from a white linen shirt, worn just hours before, slightly stained with sweat and blood. Her fingers were nimble even if crooked with age, and she made a rag doll with just a few knots. Almost unceremoniously she dropped the fabric figure into the bowl, the fabric sucking in the fragrant aroma and green hue. The words fading into the mist, "Forget … Forget…"

* * *

><p>"Where did you go?" Stella asked finally letting Aunt Jayna in the locked bunker doors. She was weighed down with several grocery bags.<p>

"Did a little shopping." Jayna explained, handing off one of the bags to her niece.

Roxi popped out from down the hallway, "What did you get, anything good?"

Jayna patted her cheek affectionately, "Oh yes. Come along girls – we have work to do."

Roxi and Stella shrugged at each other and followed their aunt into the bunker's kitchen. Between cabinet searching and lots of pots and pans banging, Aunt Jayna asked Roxi, "You still know how to make your mother's chicken parmesan?"

"Of course." Roxi answered skeptical.

"Excellent."

"We're cooking?" Stella surmised, somewhat repulsed.

"Yes, Stella – we are cooking. The boys will be home in a couple of hours, gives us perfect time to make a nice home cooked meal. DeLuci style." Jayna winked as she said this, "Your mother is a much better cook than I am. I can handle the sauce, once it is started; it can simmer for awhile….. but I'm a little rusty on the chicken part."

Roxi laughed, "The sauce is the hard part! Chicken's easy." She pulled the chicken breasts out of the bag, and looked for bread crumbs, "Are we going to pan fry them first or bake them? Baking is healthier."

Jayna smirked, "But Frying is tastier." Roxi and Jayna started buzzing about dancing around each other in the kitchen, chattering about their tasks at hand.

Stella pulled the rest of the items out of the grocery bags, some for the meal ahead, some items just to stock the cabinets. Jayna had done a full shopping stock up excursion for the bunker. Which was great, because supplies were low. The boys didn't exactly make food shopping a priority, especially when they could just grab some take out. She huffed slightly as she realized there were makings for a salad, and garlic bread. Even though she pulled out a large salad bowl, and was helping along, she grumbled, "Why are WE cooking for THEM? Its so … cliché. Even sexist. They are out doing their manly things and we are here, making sure dinner is on the table for them once they return. Its sooo ….." she made face of pure disgust.

Jayna smiled at her niece, sighing at her little liberal. "I know it may seem like that, Stella. But, think about those Winchester boys. They haven't experienced life like that. In fact most of the women they have known in their lives were also hunters, and were out on the hunt with them, or something like that. We are not cooking a meal for them because we are women, we are cooking a meal for them because they deserve it, and we deserve it. If they were women, and we were men, we would still be cooking for them, because we are the ones here. Or perhaps if we were out there risking our lives, they would cook for us."

"Dean loves to cook. He putters around the kitchen. Nesting, he calls it." Castiel said from the doorway. He had been doing some "light" reading in the Men of Letters library. He had on one of Dean's faded blue t-shirts, a reddish hoodie, and jeans. It was an entirely different look for the angel, but Dean often chided him about being too formally dressed for hanging around the bunker. Stella couldn't help but smile at her favorite angel.

"Plus." Roxi added feeling a bit excited about it, "I betcha they haven't had a real Italian dinner, like, ever."

Jayna put her arm around her oldest niece, and corralled her back to chop the veggies for the salad, "We are cooking for our friends. That is all." Stella rolled her eyes. She knew that Aunt Jayna didn't subscribe to as much of the gender stereotypes as most women her age, but Stella still felt she must remain diligent. Jayna's affection was persuasive enough, "I was hoping you would make that honey Dijon dressing – I bought rice vinegar." Stella smirked. She did make a mean honey Dijon dressing. "That's my girl!"

"How do you know they are on their way home, Jayna – did Sam call you?" Cas asked curiously.

Jayna's lips creased into a secretive smile and winked, "nope."

* * *

><p>"I'm just saying that a dhjinn would be more of a challenge then a simple vamp…" Dean stopped suddenly once Sam opened the bunker doors with the Men of Letter's key, "what is that smell?" he sniffed the air canine-like, licking his lips.<p>

Sam stood defensively, as if Dean was warning him of oncoming foe, "What?! What do you smell?" Then the odoriferous sensation reached him too. Garlic Bread. Delicious Cheesy garlic bread. Even a carb-conscious nut like Sam knew that smell, and his mouth watered.

Dean followed the scent into the main hall, where the table they had been eating dinner at was. I wasn't a dining room, but they made do. "Chicken. Peppers. Onions. Garlic." He corrected himself, "Tomato sauce." His stomach grumbled at the idea. Even though as a demon his appetite was diminished, he savored the memory of enjoying food.

The table displayed pure domesticity. Real china plates, forks, knives, wine glasses, cloth napkins. Set for a family of 7. Four tapered candles flickered strategically placed down the center of the table. Dean bee lined for the fabric covered basket that the aroma of garlic bread simply wafted up from.

"Well, then Jayna's text makes perfect sense." Sam concluded, placing the two bottles on the table that he had been carrying since the car, "2 bottles of sweet red wine. Just as ordered."

"You are a good boy." Jayna said, entering carrying two serving boats of sauce. Stella's salad was already on the table, along with her special dressing.

Roxi barreled down the stairs mumbling, "are they home?" stopping suddenly when she saw the brothers. She was wearing a black t-shirt, scissored at the collar, and hems, cropped just below the AC/DC logo, tossed over a grey tank top. Black boots. Black skinny jeans. "Is that MY shirt?" Dean accused crossing the room, and fingering the fabric of her shirt.

"yeah." Roxi said proudly, "You want it back?" Dean huffed, eyed the sister from toe to hair, which hung in exotic curls to mid back, her brown eyes luminous and daring. "you cut it to pieces!" he sputtered, but corrected quickly, "No. It looks better on you."

The scent of chicken parmesan hit the room as Castiel carried the large casserole dish onto the table. "Be careful, the dish is slightly hot." He cocked his head at the pan as if it would offend the humans. He had carried it bare handed of course.

"Are we having a guest?" Dean asked, counting the plates.

Roxi smiled, "Aunt Jayna says you should always set an extra plate, just in case."

"We won't get any unexpected visitors here in the bunker." Dean growled as if he would battle anyone who tried.

"You never know Dean Winchester." Jayna smiled, "or perhaps we set it to honor those who have left us, as they would also be welcome at our table." Dean rolled his eyes, but he thought of the ghost of Kevin Tran that had walked the halls of this very bunker. And of Bobby, who was tied to his side for awhile by the way of his flask.

The girls wanted to hear all about the hunt. The vampires, what they looked like, what they said, what they wore, everything. In turn, Sam got Stella and Roxi talking about 'dinners like this' in the DeLuci house. They were very animated when they talked about their home life, telling stories of their mother, their father, and regular domestic life. Sam looked wistfully on and listened intently. Dean and Jayna took turns filling everyone's wine glasses. Even Stella's, who had turned 21 since they last saw the Winchesters. Roxi pouted at her own glass of sparkling cider, "Yeehaa."

Sam insisted on taking a shower after dinner, but Dean and Cas cleared the table, loaded up the dishwasher, returning only to find all three ladies asleep on the couches. "Good thing there's three of us." Dean said sarcastically, as he hoisted the sleepy Roxi in his arms; "Cas, you grab Stella. Leave Jayna for Sam." Cas watched how Dean had handled the teen, and copied his actions as he gently scooped Stella up in his arms. She sighed breathily and wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling into his skin. Once they left the girls in their own beds, tucked in cozily beneath the blankets, Dean closing the door behind him, Cas whispered questioningly, "I do not think that Stella was asleep. Would she fake sleep?"

Dean smiled, and patted his shoulder soothingly, "To be carried to bed and tucked in by our favorite angel, probably."

* * *

><p>Sam rubbed the towel through his shaggy hair. His room was still sparse; he hadn't the time to personalize it like Dean, especially since he fought the idea of making himself at home in the bunker when they first got there. He made faces at himself in the mirror. His reflection tilted slightly at him, as the glasses of wine he had still buzzed in his head. He might have finished one bottle all on his own if he counted correctly. Truth was, he felt slightly bloated from the garlic bread and pasta, he should take a run first thing in the morning. Roxi usually was up, running, at the crack of dawn, maybe he would join her. When he tottered in from the bathroom, he didn't even notice the lump on his bed. The human sized lump. He nearly jumped out of his skin when the lump moved.<p>

"What?" and then a slightly slurred, "Jayna?"

Jayna murmured, "Just need to nap a little…."

Sam smirked, "Okay." He grabbed a t-shirt from his dresser, and pulled it over his head quickly, feeling self-conscious, even though Jayna's eyes were nowhere near open. He was glad he had pulled on his sweats before leaving the bathroom. Grabbing his laptop, he attempted to leave her.

"Don't go, Sammy." She whispered, forcing her feet to the side of the bed, rubbing her eyes groggily.

Sam met her on the side of the bed, squatting, gently placing his hands on her knees, "Go ahead and sleep. It's fine."

"I try not to drink wine these days, it makes things too fuzzy." She managed a slight smile, opening her eyes to meet Sam Winchester's glittering hazel gaze. Her breath stopped for a moment. "I'm in your room." She said as if she just realized it, crimson rose in her cheeks.

Sam huffed a chuckle, squatting not working out for him, and settled on his knees, "yep." Jayna shook her head at herself, laughing at her own mortification. "It's fine." Sam repeated, affectionately touching her face with his fingertips, "rest. I'll go …." While he talked, Jayna had reached up and placed her hand on his. Not strategically, just in an act of mutual friendly affection. But their skin tingled with electricity as their hands met. Jayna closed her eyes immediately. Sam squinted at her, "Jayna?" He lowered his voice to a whisper.

"where is your shirt?" she asked suddenly.

Sam stood up, glanced around the quickly, the room sloping slightly, not sure of what he should say, "Which shirt?"

Jayna left the bedside, eyes wide, darting around the room, "Your white shirt. The one you were wearing today."

Sam laughed, "I think I threw it out when we stopped to get the wine. Dean caught it on his blade, and it was splattered with vamp blood …" he stared at her incredulously.

She cast a quick, WTH type look at him first, then sat in a huff at the foot of the bed, "OK" she rubbed her temples. "Maybe we should try again…. All I got was the shirt." It was Sam's turn to shake his head. She was alluding to him letting her psychically read him; read off of the feedback that she got when they touched skin to skin. He realized how connected they felt to her, knowing it was due to her abilities; it was still disconcerting sometimes.

"You have been drinking." Sam tried to excuse away, "I have been drinking. We… have been.."

"I'm not suggesting we have sex or build a bomb. Just … come here." She motioned to herself. Sam blushed and complied, holding out his arms to her. Jayna started at the short sleeve hem of his t-shirt, placing her hands at the bulk of his bicep. He tensed up slightly at the electricity of her touch upon his arm. His skin felt intensely receptive to her touch, enflaming beneath her fingertips. Jayna stared into Sam's eyes, forcing him to stare back at her. His gaze was questioning. Her's was blank and giving. The palms of her hands rode the curve of his arm, until landing upon the crook of his elbow. His forearms were much longer than hers, even though their arms lay upon each others'. Sam exhaled silently, allowing his hands to wrap around the width of her bicep. They stood thusly for a moment. Allowing the energy to course between them. Jayna smiled sweetly at the Winchester brother as he reflexively caressed the underskin of her arm with his thumb. Synchronized, they closed their eyes.

Sam's face appeared before her. Enraptured. He smiled. He kissed her singley on her lips as he rose above her, pushing himself …. "What the hell?!" Jayna yelped, pulling her hands off and away from his skin. "What the hell is that?!"

Sam swallowed hard, and tried to stammer a response, "what did you see?"

"Fuck you, Sam. You know what I saw." Jayna said pushing him away, "What is that? It's not a memory. It's not a vision. What is it?"

He tucked his hair behind his ears and still was going to attempt a response, but Jayna cut him off, holding her hand up haltingly in the air to him, "No. Nope."

"Maybe we have some unresolved …."

"Nope. We're good. Nothing unresolved here …" Jayna insisted, pacing the room slightly, smoothing her tank top over the waistband of her skirt. Her skirt was long layered tiers of gauzy cotton and taffeta, in a splay of black and blue colors; her tank top blue. The bunker always felt warm to her, so she tended to dress in layers, like the boys, ready to shed or add clothing as needed. It was frigidly cold outside those walls. She had worn another, warmer shirt, earlier, but had removed it at dinner, once the wine started kicking in. Now she felt a chill race up her spine, and goosebump her skin. Sam crossed the room after her, grabbing a well worn flannel shirt from his chair. He placed the blue plaid flannel on her shoulders, his fingers lingering on the fabric as he circled to face her, his hazel eyes wide, melting her icy heart. "Stop, Sammy." She whispered, Sam pulled the shirt closed in front of him, in front of her, grasping the fabric tightly in his fist, and heaved her slightly towards him.

"Hey Sammy!" came a voice barreling in from the hallway, pushing the door that was left ajar open, "Cas & I are going to watch Game of …." Dean's voice trailed off as he crossed the threshold, "Oh…"

Before Dean could offer a snarky comment, Sam threw something weighty at the door, just whatever was in arms length, "Get out!"

"Right, right. I'll just…" Dean motioned to the door and closed it with a sheepish smirk behind him.

* * *

><p>When Sam awoke the next morning, he was alone in his bunker bedroom. He sauntered to the kitchen rubbing his chest and head groggily. He felt like he had been sleeping for years. He heard movement in the kitchen, he called out to it, "Dean, please tell me you made coffee."<p>

"Of course, there's coffee." Came a female voice back at him.

Sam stopped short, the look on his face pure surprise, "Oh, hi. Good morning." He said somewhat formally.

Dean entered the room, smiling broadly, however somewhat manically, "Did everyone have a good night last night? Sleep well?" He raised his eyebrows at Sam, and slapped him heartily on the chest.

"Dean, I thought we said we weren't bringing girls back to the bunker?" Sam said in a whisper. She was a little thing, a full foot shorter than both the brothers. Auburn brown hair, pulled into a clip at the back of her head. Average built, not too skinny, not overweight. But she wore a blue plaid shirt, that was 10 times too big for her, tied at the waist, over a blue top and a pair of tight blue jeans. Dean looked from Jayna to Sam. His smile fading slightly with a "huh?" Sam motioned to the girl; she was about Dean's age, "that's your shirt."

"No, Sammy – That's _**your**_ shirt." Dean laughed, slapping him on the chest again, "What's cooking hot stuff?"

She smiled sweetly at both brothers, "French Toast." Dean growled triumphantly, she winked towards Sam, "I made you an omelet with spinach."

Sam crossed the kitchen, to sit at the counter top, "Awesome, I'm starved."

Jayna added, pouring him a cup of coffee and handing it off to him, "I figured with all that starch you ate last night, you wouldn't want any thing heavy this morning."

"Right." Sam nodded, and looked at Dean with his best, "what the hell is going on" look, creasing heavily between his eyebrows.

"I smell breakfast!" another female voice screeched down the hallway, into the kitchen. Dressed in perhaps the shortest running shorts Sam had ever seen, and a cropped top that barely covered her toned tummy, the young gal jogged into the kitchen, grabbing a fistful of turkey bacon, "Hey – you running with me today Winchester?"

Sam glanced at Dean and then around the room, "Me?"

"Well it certainly isn't me." Dean said dubiously. The world would freeze over before he would start running in the morning. The most running he did was from leviathan and shape shifters, thank you.

Sam nodded, staring into his omelet, "yeah, ok." Roxi playfully punched his shoulder, "excellent. You think we can work on defense moves later? I would love to practice some on you guys."

Dean laughed, "Sure thing pip squeak. Where's Sleeping Beauty?"

"Cas is right behind you." Jayna joked; Dean pursed his lips and shook his head but still nodded to the Angel, "morning, sunshine."

"Stella is still sleeping." Castiel informed them, taking the seat next to Dean, and contemplated tasting the French Toast.

"Try it, Cas." Jayna encouraged, "You liked the pasta last night, and the garlic bread." The chicken not so much. The fibers and molecules of the chicken breast reminded Cas of the life of the actual chicken too much, and he couldn't stomach eating it.

Dean plopped a few pieces on a plate in front of Cas, and loaded them up with maple syrup, giving Castiel encouraging eyebrows.

Sam dropped his fork on his plate suddenly. The room looked at him. He stood up, and looked rather pale. Jayna wiped her hands on a towel, and approached the brother from behind, "You okay, Sammy?"

Sam flinched from her touch when she reached out to him. Jayna looked questioningly to Dean. Dean shrugged, but also looked concerned.

"I have to change." He said, his voice breaking softly before he parted down the hallway.

The gals all looked at Dean as if he could answer for his brother's awkwardness. Dean wiped his mouth on a napkin, "I got it." He said before following his brother to his room.

* * *

><p>"Talk to me."<p>

"What's going on, why are they here?" Sam asked suddenly, not hesitating in the least, "Who are they?"

Dean was confused, "Who? You mean Jayna, Roxi and Cas?"

"I know Cas, you idiot. The girls, and who is Stella?"

"Stella is Jayna's niece. You know that. So is Roxi, and …. Did you bang your head on the headboard last night?" He smirked at the brother like they shared the joke, but Sam wasn't playing along, "Sammy … you and Jayna…"

Sam looked around his room quickly, pacing slightly. "Jayna." He said under his breath, then faced his brother, "Dean, I don't remember a thing."

It took Dean a few seconds for this to sink in before he burst out in a full body cackle, "Shut the fuck up, you don't remember any of it?"

"Dean, seriously, I don't even know who she is." He hissed regretfully, pulling his hand through his hair desperately.

"Jayna? You met Jayna years ago, when you were doing your little demon tour with Ruby." Dean sat on the chair and waited for his brother to catch up.

"Who's Ruby?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you? 'Who's Ruby?'! The demon bitch you hitched yourself to, turned you into a demon blood addict and then she betrayed us both – _that_ Ruby."

Sam shook his head, his eyes wide with his honesty.

"awesome." Dean paused. Rubbed his hands together, and bellowed into the air, "Castiel – Your presence is requested, pronto, Angel Eyes."

Castiel appeared in the doorway to Sam's bedroom within seconds, scowling at Dean. He hated when he summoned him like he was his own personal angel. Even though, at times, he really was. Plus using the endearment Angel Eyes was not all that appropriate in the halls of the bunker. "We have ourselves a little problem."

* * *

><p><em>** BRAHMA, by Ralph Waldo Emerson <em>


	3. Chapter 3

"We have to tell her." Dean said, "she can help."

"I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"Seriously Sam? You don't have a '_thing' _ with Jayna." Dean was trying to have patience with his brother.

"What?" Sam couldn't imagine that. His brother must have misspoke.

"You aren't IN a relationship with her. I mean, I'm pretty sure hooked up the other night, although maybe not (he cleared his throat to try to clear the image out of his brain), but if you did, I think that was the only time."

"You're pretty sure I hooked up with her? But you aren't positive. Do I do that? Do I just hook up with random women?"

"no Sammy, I do that. You, you really don't. Jayna isn't a random woman. You and she have some sort of connection or something. Jayna is ….. "

Castiel interrupted the stuttering brother, "the only person who can tell you about your relationship with Jayna is Jayna. " Dean raised his hands in resignation.

* * *

><p>She stared at Sam's blank face, "You don't know who I am." She figured it out fairly quickly; Dean figured it was her ability or whatever.<p>

"It's not just you, its all women. It's like Sam's lady slate has been wiped clean. He doesn't remember Ruby, Amelia, Sarah, Meg, Jody, Ellen or Jo … Hell he doesn't even remember our mom." Dean voice was wavering slightly when he said that.

Sam winced, feeling the weight of those names wash over him. He knew they were important. But otherwise, the names drew blanks for him.

Jayna crept in real close, staring into the younger Winchester's eyes. "Give me your hands." Sam pulled back, "what? Why?"

"She's a telepath." Castiel announced out of the blue.

"What? What?" Sam and Dean both echoed simultaneously. Dean continued, "I thought you were a psychic?"

"I am a psychic. But some psychics have specialties. Reading cards, scrying in mirrors or glass balls, talking to the dead. I …"

"read minds. You read fucking minds?" Dean circled around the table, "can you read my mind? Have you read my mind?" He looked appalled. He had met many psychics in his life, particularly in his line of work. Mostly he believed they were full of crap. A few were truly gifted. He was reminded of Missouri Moseley and her knack for scolding him for even thinking of doing things.

"I don't read things that you don't already want me to know." Jayna spoke very softly, "on some level." Dean wasn't convinced, and it completely unnerved him.

"Ok. Let's do it." Sam held out his hands to her. Anything was worth filling the empty void of memories that he knew were missing. Dean nearly popped a gasket, "No, you can't just let her wander around your brain; we don't know what's going on up there…. And…"

Jayna sat on the table next to Sam's outstretched hands; she lightly, gently touched his face, "its ok." Sam said staring at her, "She's done it before." He swallowed, "Before I forgot, I trusted her. I know that much."

Dean scoffed, "you don't know that, she could be feeding that to you. She's going all Jedi mind trick on you."

"Shut up Dean." Roxi said from the doorway. Dean looked down at the floor suddenly, realizing that he was overheard. "You are talking about our Aunt Jayna. You may not know her very well. But we do. And Sam does."

Stella chimed in, "well, he did." She shrugged with the honesty.

"They met a billion years ago, and crossed paths a couple of times…." Dean tried to pshaw away the idea.

"Yeah, but she's a telepath. It kinda knocks away all the walls" Stella said defiantly.

"Have you ever noticed that she doesn't touch you much?" Castiel offered up to Dean. Dean narrowed his eyes at him. "She didn't want to read your thoughts. She knew you wanted them to be private, and she respected that."

"Plus you are a demon Dean. I don't want to see what is in there." She tried to sound sarcastic, but she also wasn't exactly sure she could read the demon's mind.

Stella agreed, "But she is always touching Sam. From the moment she sees him, she grabs his hand with both of hers."

"Its like she's getting an update." Roxi chuckled.

"You knew this?" Dean accused Roxi, trying to keep his temper in check.

Roxi shrugged, "kinda. I didn't really have a name for it. I just knew she knew stuff. I just thought it was her psychic thing. But she always said she had fine tuned Winchester satellites."

Sam was quiet this whole time, just watching Jayna. And she him. She spoke softly to him, "I won't see anything you don't want me to see. Just put it in a box, and I won't look."

Sam nodded, pushed his hair off his face, and readied himself. "I trust you." He didn't know why. He may not know who she was, or their history, but he knew he trusted her. It was something he felt deep in his gut.

"Yes you do." Jayna smiled. It was a genuine, sweet smile. It warmed Sam from the inside. He looked to her lips, and wondered if he had ever kissed them. "I'm sorry that I don't remember you, Jayna."

"I know you are. It's okay. We are going to figure this out." She lowered her chin towards him, and took his hands in hers. "Close your eyes." She whispered. He obeyed.

Silence filled her ears, so loud it roared in her mind. She clenched his hands to hers. His oversized mitts. She forced her personal memory of those hands from her mind. Those were her memories. Not his. Images flooded her minds eye. Dean. John Winchester. Bobby. Kevin Tran. Crowley. Lucifer. Castiel. Some random dogs. The Impala. Ghosts, demons, more monsters than she could imagine. She let go of his hands abruptly, and grumbled to herself.

"Well?" Dean demanded.

"its not like he has a search feature in his mind, where I can key something in and find out if it's in there." Jayna sighed, scooting herself off the table, she patted Sam's arm soothingly, "True, there doesn't seem to be any female figures in there. From what I did see, anyway."

Sam sat very still. It was an odd concept that someone was browsing around his mind. But even though he felt that he could trust Jayna, he wondered at this sensation. Pushing his hair behind his ears again, he asked, "Now what?"

Jayna brought her hand across his wide back, "And we are sure there isn't something physically wrong with him?" she looked towards Castiel.

Cas shook his head, "I have checked. There is nothing wrong with any of his functions or organs." Sam blushed. He felt like a scientific subject.

Jayna closed her eyes for a moment. Dean and Cas exchanged stares that questioned what she was doing or thinking. More psychic woo-woo crap, Dean thought. Cas shrugged. Dean growled, and then spoke up, "It happened right after he spent the night with you, did you do something to him?"

Roxi and Stella both spun their heads to Jayna, with a synchronized, "What?" and then Roxi put their question in words, "You … and Sam?"

Jayna raised her hand to her nieces as if to say 'not now', and shook her head, with a groan, she attempted, "Not at all what it sounds like." She knew it sounded cliché and patronizing.

Stella however yelped a triumphant, "HA! I knew it!" and then she faced the angel, "I told you Cas! You owe me five dollars!" She held her hand up for a congratulatory high five. Cas begrudgedly complied and then whispered to Dean, "I need five dollars."

Dean shooed him away after giving him the money, returning his accusatory gaze to Jayna. She responded to Dean's questioning, "I did nothing, we did nothing that would cause him to lose his memory of all females. Although, that certainly would be poetic." Sam actually laughed out loud.

Dean chuckled too, "that would be one hell of a night."

* * *

><p>Sam's blue plaid flannel shirt in her hand, Jayna tentatively stepped into Sam's bedroom. The room was tidier than the last time she had seen it. The bed was made with fresh clean sheets, and on the desk, folded neatly was an item or two of hers that she had left there inadvertently the night Sam lost his memory. She placed his shirt next to her stuff. Sam was seated at his desk, typing on his laptop. Sam cleared his throat as he fingered the material of his own shirt, trying to remember anything from that night. From any night even, when females existed in his world. He flinched slightly as if the fabric had burned him.<p>

Sam blushed at his own ignorance of the situation, she tried to soothe him, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Sam. You did not dishonor me in any way." Sam rolled his shoulders back, and cleared his throat again. Jayna sighed and spoke to herself under her breath, "Well, that didn't work so well." She smiled more broadly, somewhat dramatically, "We are all friends here, Sam Winchester." She tried once more.

"Jayna – you don't know me. This isn't me. I don't forget… _people_." When he said 'people' he meant girls, women. He winced as he said it, because at that very moment it was a lie. He forgot "…_people_." He couldn't remember one female in the history of the world.

Jayna smiled at the irony of it, "I DO know you Sammy. We are friends, Sam. I know you don't know that right now. But I do. And I know you don't forget _people_ – but this is not in your control… I'm still trying to figure it out." She paused, looking up at him, "I'm thinking of making tea – you want some tea?"

Sam wasn't quite falling for it and wasn't diverted, "Jayna…." he started, the tone of his voice hinting that he was about to ask something delicate, uncomfortable, "Can't you …. Feed me my memories? Since you and I have connected before - apparently. You have knowledge of me that I seemed to have forgotten – couldn't you …."

Jayna interrupted him. "I thought of that Sam. I did. But I only have my memories. My version of things. What I saw or heard, or felt. It wouldn't be fair to feed that back to you. They aren't your thoughts or memories. They're mine."

"But you know so much about me, and my brother. You know our story. Your knowledge can fill in my blanks." He said somewhat pleadingly.

"Sam it doesn't work like that. I am not a terabit hard drive, that you can just plug into and pull the data off of. Yes, I know your story. I know some of your feelings and experiences that involve the female race, but it's not the same. It's like reading a biography, rather than living it." Jayna crossed into the room, looking at the various personal items in the room, searching for something she hadn't quite identified yet. She felt a pull at her subconscious. She knew the feeling well. There was something there, information, waiting for her to find it.

"Sam …. What were you wearing that night?" Sam blushed. She smiled coyly at him, "At dinner. Or during the day…."

"We were on a vamp hunt. My grey suit." He walked to the closet, the suit was hanging on the back of the door, waiting to be dry cleaned. "t-shirt." He grabbed the soiled t-shirt from the laundry hamper, and his boxer-briefs. Jayna nodded as he handed the items to her, "watch. FBI badge." He opened his desk drawer and took those items out.

"what weapon did you use?" she asked considering the items in her hands.

"Silver blade. It's in the trunk of the car. Do you want me to go get it?"

"No. no. This is enough." She placed the clothing on the bed, along side the grey suit. Sam leaned himself against the wall as he watched the psychic lay her hands on the items one by one, taking deliberate time with each item. She hesitated at the t-shirt. There was a small rip on the torso area, and some vampire blood on the front, where it had seeped through from the dress shirt he wore. The scene unfolded for her. She saw the struggle. The fight. The vampires. Her breath labored for a moment as she felt her own innate fear erupt for a moment. Her adrenaline naturally kicked up. Sam observed these changes in her. She heard him approach her from behind, worrying about her. She held up a hand wordlessly holding him off, letting him know she was okay. He stepped back.

"Where is the white shirt?" She said out loud finally. Then she remembered the exchange Sam and she had that night, she had asked about the white shirt then too. But she didn't know why. It had come to her suddenly that night. Like a nagging question,. Where is the white shirt?

Sam looked at her questioningly. "I …." She halted him with her hand again. She held the tattered t-shirt in her hand, fumbling with the fabric in a cyclical motion, touching the tear, and then the blood. She brought the shirt to her face.

"crap." She said out loud finally. "Crap." Again. Sam's eyes darted around, "what?" "Come here, moose." She said quickly, he obeyed, Jayna brushed her hands gently over his hair, and his forehead, and then poignantly on his chest, just over his heart, as if trying to translate other signs that might be hidden in his subconscious.

"We need to find that shirt."


	4. Chapter 4

"I think we are dealing with Carrionites." Jayna said with an even amount of confidence and doubt. She was pretty confident that she was right, she was unsure of herself presenting it to the expert hunters.

"Carrionites? What the hell is that?" Dean asked rightfully doubtful. She had brought everyone together in the Men of Letters' library to discuss what she had found out.

Stella tapped on the laptop, and spun it to face the brothers, who were across the table from her, "They're like witches. They put spells on people, they use voodoo – but mostly their magic is based on the power of words." Stella, Roxi and Jayna had been chatting and researching most of the morning. Dean made them all lunch. Burgers stuffed with feta cheese; roasted potatoes with spices (just the right combination of spice, onion and potato); sautéed spinach with mushrooms and he opened a big bag of chips just to balance out the healthy factor.

_[You will make a great hubby some day." Roxi mused. Castiel was confused when he agreed, and the girls erupted in giggles and Dean's cheeks glowed slightly pink.]_

"Power of words?" Sam repeated, not liking the sound of that.

"Well, it's not so crazy. Think about it, when you exorcise something, you are using incantations and , well, Words, to do it. So … the power of words." Roxi collaborated, leaning on the back of Dean's chair grabbing a chip from his plate. (He slapped her hand away protectively)

Dean and Sam shared a brotherly look of agreement.

"We found a mention of them in this journal of Dr. Martha Smith-Jones. She was a specialist in the British UNIT." Jayna explained thumbing through the book that she had found on the very shelves of the Men of Letters behind them. Although, truth be known, it was hard to discern how old the book was. It was written like a journal of a modern age woman, but however spoke of Shakespeare as if he were a contemporary of hers.

Dean muttered something along the lines of "what the hell is the unit?"

Sam and Stella answered simultaneously, "UNified Intelligence Taskforce" as if that was a given. Like FBI, CIA, and UNIT. Sam added, "They operate as a security organization, a kind of covert counter terrorist unit out of Britain. But it is rumored that they mostly deal with investigating extraterrestrial type threats and paranormal activities."

"So, kind of like Britain's own Men of Letters." Dean parried.

"Except with more government and military backing" Sam agreed, adding more info. Dean nodded somewhat impressed. What he would do for a little military backing against some of the creatures he fought daily.

"There's a legend of the Carrionites being suspended in a glass globe. In fact Dr. Jones references it in her journal." Stella continued.

"Kinda like general Zod in Superman 2." Roxi added. Dean briefly understood, nodding with an impressed air.

Stella smiled slightly, those details were trivial to her, "Right – so they were imprisoned in this crystal ball, and they used a few specific lines from Puck in Shakespeare's Midsummer's Nights Dream, to break the rest of their power out of this prison. But they only were able to free part of it. They have only have the power to hex people, a kind of voodoo. It is said that they have been trying to free the rest of it for centuries."

"Why Midsummer's Night Dream?" Sam asked.

"Carrionites have this affinity to trochaic tetrameter." Jayna explained. Dean looked like she said something in a different language, Sam cocked his head sideways as he considered this.

Stella volunteered sensing Dean's hesitance, "it's the rhythm of the words. Like DUM, da, DUM, de, DUM, da, DUM, de. … I can find an example, if you'd like…" Dean shook his head defiantly, pursing his mouth like he tasted something sour, holding up his hand to stop her.

"I thought Shakespeare used iambic pentameter?" Sam inquired, Dean leered at him for being such an intellectual.

"Mostly. But the girls are right, he used tetrameter in some lines for Puck." Castiel agreed, validating the girls' research quickly.

"The vamp kill was at a coffee house poetry reading." Sam clued in.

Jayna nodded to Sam, "Exactly. They were probably reading Longfellow, who also used tetrameter, or they could have been composing their own verses. That was actually my first clue. I heard part of the incantation when I touched the t-shirt." Jayna disclosed somewhat sheepishly.

"Way to go, Nancy Drew." Cas offered, smiling confidently to the group. He knew he used the reference correctly, and was proud he said it first. The group erupted in a circle of laughter for a small moment.

"So, how do we kill it?" Dean asked the obvious question; and Sam added, "And will that reverse the spell?"

"God, I hope so." The words slipped out of Stella's mouth before she knew it, and she pulled her computer back to her, and typed some things in as if to verify the fact.

Jayna offered only a half smile, "The Carrionites will appear like a trio of witches. Mother, Maiden and Crone. Supposedly if you name them – call them by their name, it will repel them."

"The power of the words." Sam ingested the idea.

"My theory is … they were using the vamps and the poetry reading to free up their power again. You guys got in their way. They found Sam's shirt." Jayna looked at the younger Winchester to see if he followed her logic.

Sam continued for her, "Did a voodoo like spell to give me selective amnesia."

"I think you saw them, Sam." Jayna revealed, "I think you saw the three of them together, three women, probably just looked like 3 generations at a coffee shop, but you saw them and felt something wasn't quite right."

"And they wiped his memory of all women." Stella concluded brightly.

Jayna patted her niece's shoulder with pride, "Exactly."

Dean inhaled deeply, "So how do we kill them?"

"I don't think _you_ should." Jayna answered. Hearing her emphasis on the word, "you" , the brothers protested. Jayna held her hand up, "Shhhh. Listen." They quieted for a step, "They know you. They've seen you. Not only do they know your faces, they know what you do." She was trying to lead the boys to her plan without saying it exactly out loud.

"And they have a spell on Sam." Stella agreed, trying to help her aunt to divulge her plan.

"No." Dean erupted, he knew where Jayna was going immediately, "No. You are not going to go." It took Sam a second to catch up, and he dissented also, "Jayna …."

"We can totally do it." Roxi exalted immediately. Dean hopped off of his chair, pacing, rubbing his hand on the scruff on his chin, shaking his head.

Stella proclaimed, "We have a plan."

Jayna touched Sam's shoulder gently, "We can do this." His face spoke volumes: doubt, fear, confusion, injured pride. "We've done the research. We know what we are dealing with." Sam offered up a look of question to his brother.

Dean still paced. He didn't like the idea of not being in control of the hunt. He stopped, looked at the trio of girls. He wanted to believe they could handle themselves. He knew so many strong women fighters/hunters (Jo, Ellen, Jody Mills). But he also knew this trio was not experienced, wasn't battle scarred. "You are taking the angel with you." He conceded.

Roxi let out a squeal that was not completely human. Before Dean could react, the younger sister had leapt at him, wrapping her arms and legs around his torso, forcing him to catch her ass mid air.

"Ok. ok. ok." was all he managed in protest as she planted kiss after kiss all over his freckled cheeks, nose and forehead.

* * *

><p>They found that there was another poetry reading scheduled in 3 days. That gave them time to prepare. They spent the days working on their fighting skills, hand to hand sparring with the Winchester brothers. The nights going over the plan with footnotes on how to kill creatures if they came across them. Stella scribbled notes in her journal. The brothers still were not thrilled to send the ladies in their stead. Every few minutes Dean would jump up and say, "Forget it, I'm a damn demon, I'm going." and either Cas or Sam would talk sense in him that it was best for them to remain back.<p>

"This here is a Gerber Machete." Dean said holding up a broad bladed weapon, with a double board handle and corded wrist lanyard. He sheathed it into a leather scabbard, "Machetes come in various sizes. This particular one is useful because it can be easy hid in an inside jacket pocket, or a sleeve. This here was manufactured in Oregon and spring tempered to maintain its character." Dean unsheathed it again, and parried into the air. "It's light enough for your .. level of strength." He handed it over to Roxi who admired it with a sense of reverence and excitement.

Sam interceded, "It can also decapitate someone in one slice."

"If you wield it correctly." Dean stood behind Roxi, putting one hand on her weaponed hand, and the other on her hip. Roxi rolled her shoulders adjusting to the sensation of Dean Winchester's hands on her flesh. He whispered sultrily in her ear instructions regarding the feeling of the weapon in her hand. She did not blush at the double entendre, but leaned her body closer to his. Dean managed a mumbled growl, his eyes flickering demon black before Sam's ever watchful eyes corrected him. Shrugging off the sensation he continued, helping Roxi regulate the weight of the sword in her hand. A few shared swipes into the air, slicing heads off imaginary foe, and Roxi was off on her own, practicing.

Stella was armed with a firearm with silver bullets and a razor sharp dagger slipped into the calf of her boot.

"All this is fine, except we can't kill the Carrionites, we have to capture them in this." Jayna spouted nonchalantly as she tossed a glass orb in the air.

"Don't drop it." Dean instructed sternly, catching it mid air from Jayna, and placed it in a velvet bag. "Once we get it back here; we will bind it into a spell box, and lock it in our archives for safe keeping."

"Why don't we just destroy the ball once the Carrionites are captured?" Roxi asked fairly innocently.

Sam and Dean both curved their mouths in question, considering this. Jayna answered, "Because we actually don't know much about the Carrionites. There isn't anything about killing them in Dr. Smith's journal, just capturing them. What if breaking the crystal ball frees up their power – perhaps to be picked up by some errant supernatural creature? The lore says capturing it works."

Stella didn't like the sound of it, "But, keeping the orb – then leaves it open for someone to find it someday, after we are all dead and gone, and try to free them or otherwise abuse the power. It's very risky."

Again Sam and Dean exchanged looks that seemed to say that they saw Stella and Roxi's point.

"Ok. Let's do this. Let's leave it to the experts to decide that part." Jayna motioned to the Winchester brothers, "Let's just capture the witches, and bring the ball back here. What the boys do with it, that's their thing." Stella thought she heard a hint of apprehension in her aunt's voice. That was a sensation she wasn't used to. Jayna was always calm and collected, and knew exactly what to do and when. This Aunt Jayna was nervous. Maybe even scared.

"Listen…" Jayna finally said when it seemed like they just couldn't prepare any more without going over everything for the tenth time, "I would like some alone time with my girls." She ushered Sam and Dean from the library. Cas slunk into the corner, "Just a few minutes."

The girls had the hunter's groundwork and training time. Jayna wanted their spirits to be guarded also. Jayna lowered the lights, Cas walked silently to join them.

Jayna barefooted, padded over to each warrior. Gently, she pulled each into an allotted position around the table.

"To the South" she handed Roxi a red candle, "the element fire – it creates and it destroys."

"To the West," to Stella she gave a blue candle, "Water, ruler over passion and emotion."

To Cas she handed a green candle, "To the North, the element of the Earth, for stability, endurance and strength." She patted his cheek thanking him for his patience.

For herself, she explained her white candle, "To the East, the element of Air, power over communication and the mind."

"Shouldn't Cas be Air – being an angel and all?" Roxi inquired.

Jayna chuckled at this, "I considered that. Really, Every single one of us has the power of all the elements in us. But I think it is his endurance and strength that we need to tap into for this task." They agreed. Together they lit the larger center candle with their respective candles. Jayna was aware that Sam and Dean stood sentry at the top of the stairs, watching from above more from curious interest than intrusion. The four held hands around the table. Stella smiled at the Angel, wondering at his tolerance of her Aunt's eccentricities. Cas nodded his head acknowledging Stella's bewilderment. He knew that this process of ritual would bring some sense of comfort and ease the nerves of the psychic, hence his participation. Jayna uttered some words, words Sam and Dean could not hear, but it was more of a prayer than anything else. "Is Jayna Wiccan?" Dean whispered somewhat dismayed to Sam. Sam just shrugged, not remembering either yes or no.

With the boys help in preparation of acquiring the items she needed, Jayna simmered the ingredients in a small iron kettle over a candle of a flame (water, vervain, sea salt, myrrh, frankincense, powdered silver shavings and a pinch of wolf's hair). "I charge this to protect us from any positive of negative forces that come to do harm." She whispered as she dabbed each of their wrists, forehead and behind their necks.

Jayna poured a large amount of red wine into a good sized goblet she found in the Men of Letter's cabinet. After taking a rather large gulp from it herself, the girls laughed as she passed it into the circle, each one taking their own mouthful or more. When the goblet reached Cas, Jayna smiled broadly encouraging him. He sighed deeply as if he were above it all, but motioned acquiescence as he swallowed the remaining wine. The girls erupted in laughter again. Sam and Dean concluded that Jayna wasn't a performing a witch ritual, but more likely a pre-hunt drink exchange, and retired to their rooms.

During her tarot reading for the group, she pulled the High Priestess to represent herself, the Hierophant for Cas, and the two knights for the girls. "the knights in the Tarot are young people – not as young as the Pages, but not as old as Queens or Kings. They are seekers. If you think of the old Arthurian legend of the quest for the Holy Grail, it was Arthur's knights who went seeking. That is what the tarot is saying you are – you are seeking, you are adventuring." The girls laughed. It was a playful reading. Lighthearted, but still accurate. She pointed to the card depicting a Knight rushing forward on a horse, a long sword in one hand, trees bent in the wind, "Roxi is the knight of Swords. This knight gets a lot of attention, but doesn't seem to notice it. Can be quite ruthless in its swift action. See how he is poised for battle." Roxi murmured proud approval, "This is showing that you will move forward in to the situation swiftly even if it is high with great excitement and chaos."

Stella squirmed in her seat as her card was pulled, "The knight of Pentacles." It was a calm card. The knight sat still upon its horse, the ground was smooth around it, and it depicted peacefulness and contemplation. She wasn't all too pleased with its continence. But Jayna explained, "The knight of Pentacles is patient and tolerant, Tenacious even. He will carry out a task successfully because he will not give up. The knight of Pentacles does not get caught up in the frenzy of a situation, but plods forward and succeeds."

As for the battle itself, she pulled the Moon card, which symbolized fluctuation and change, uncertainly and illusion. "It teaches us to look to our intuition rather than logic and reason." Cas scoffed at the idea. Jayna agreed, "Not the most helpful, I concur." But for the outcome, she smiled as she flipped over the last card, The World. Jayna sighed, "I love when this card comes up." And she explained, "The World card signifies completion. It signifies the coming together of the spiritual and material worlds. It speaks of unity, harmony, balance. Triumph. The realization of a prize or goal." The girls let out a satisfied cheer, "More than triumph, "Jayna added, "but an accumulation of what is meant to be is realized and acquired. Like fate has been actualized."

"You must teach me how to do that." Stella whispered as Jayna pulled her tarot cards into her warded velveteen sack.

Jayna just smiled, "It's just a game. Smoke and mirrors, and power of suggestion." But Stella felt the electrical current in the air when her aunt shuffled the cards; she knew there was more to it that her aunt would admit.

The bottle of red wine was corked, and shelved. To be shared again only when their adventure had come to a close.

* * *

><p>The walls of the coffee house were stained dark cherry wood. The only lights were faux tea light candles at each table. The cash register was at the front of the pub, the stage towards the back. A couple lingered, gathering sugar and cup sleeves. The ladies entered the foyer, the younger of the two, wearing all black, topped with a black leather jacket, and black laced boots to her calves, her hair was even a cascade of black curls. The older, dressed more casually, a pair of blue jeans, a red and blue patterned top over a dark tank top; a khaki colored jacket belted at her waist. Her hair was braided loosely down the center of her back, and her eyes were lined with black coal. Stella cast a glance around the venue. The crowd was sparse. A few tables were occupied near what looked like what served as a stage for the poetry readings (or acoustic folk music, depending on the night). The poetry reading was set to start at 9:30. Stella glanced at her watch. 9:08.<p>

Aunt Jayna was already seated at a side table; the depiction of an older hippy-type chick, decked out in her favorite flowing tiered skirt, matching top and organic cotton sweater hanging on the chair behind her She glanced over her book about crystals and auras as the sisters entered the coffee bar, making note of Castiel that hung back at the door.

Stella and Roxi purchased coffee, and positioned themselves near the stage. "I'm going to look around." Roxi whispered, leaving her sister at the table, while she headed towards the restrooms, which also flanked the stage area.

There was a hallway that led to the restrooms. Mostly bare brick walls, but another doorway that was curtained off to the public. Roxi heard voices murmuring from the other side, and did her best to peak through opening of the scarlet velour curtain. She couldn't hear any of the words but one voice belonged to an ancient looking female. She wondered if that could be the crone. In truth she looked like any other elderly great-grandmother. Roxi expected something a little more dramatic; but when she noticed the woman was talking to a middle-aged version of herself, she was more suspicious. She slipped into the restroom unnoticed and opened her phone with an ongoing text conversation already set up between Stella, Cas, Jayna and herself, "Possible Mother & Crone spotted. Alone, backstage"

Stella quickly put her phone on vibrate once she received that message. Cas squinted at his phone, trying to plan at least two steps ahead in his head. Jayna's phone was on the table, she read it through her peripheral vision while not looking away from her book. She casually turned to the next page. Stella texted back, "Can you maintain surveillance?"

Roxi texted quickly, "I'll try." And resumed standing by the curtained opening. The voices had multiplied, she peeped in again. A tall thin male stood talking to the crone, flanked by a young 20-something female. The female spoke unfettered, "Grandmother, half of the coven are here." The maid. Roxi decided, then thought about the usage of the word, "coven." The man nodded and added, "My brothers and sisters will arrive shortly."

The mother figure spoke up, "will the blood lust be an issue for your group? Grandmother will not tolerate a vampire feast at our very own coming out party."

"We are skilled in self-discipline and self control. We can conduct ourselves responsibly, if the rewards are worth it." The vampire sneered, trying not to sound as cocky as he inherently was.

"You will be rewarded, once we have fully regained or powers, you will not have to be so skilled in self control, this we have promised you. However the last time we attempted the incantation, we were interrupted…." The crone's voice was labored and more like that of a hissing snake.

Roxi gulped back the lump that formed in her throat, and fumbled with her phone, wondering if a text was appropriate. She felt it would take too long to type. She scurried to Stella's table, whispering what she had heard to her sister. Jayna folded her book, and looked directly at the girls. "what?" the question arrived in Stella's brain, in her aunt's voice. If she wasn't so terrified of what her sister had just told her, she would have laughed at the experience. "Vamps. A full coven of vampires." She 'said' to her aunt. She wasn't sure how the psychic link worked. Stella attempted just to say the words as loud as she could in her head, and hoped Jayna could hear it. Jayna winced, hearing the words clearly as if they were screamed into her eardrum itself.

Castiel moved his position to the inside of the coffee house door, either by instinct or because of 'overhearing' Stella's psychic announcement to her Aunt. His eyes darted around the café, analyzing what he saw. Jayna met Castiel at the door like old friends, meeting for a cup of Joe. They hugged awkwardly. He sent her mental pictures of the vampires he could identify just by visually reading them. There were 10 people in the café, other than themselves. 6 of which were vampires. The couple by the door finally departed. The remaining two were the baristas behind the counter. The rest vampires. Stella cast a furtive glance towards the doorway where her aunt and the angel stood. "More are coming." Castiel said out loud in his best attempt at a whisper. Jayna swore, shaking her head. Cas agreed with the sentiment with a simple nod. The both looked towards the young girls sitting at the café table wondering the next plan of action, and also how best to protect the girls.

"We should move quickly before the rest of the coven gets here." Jayna suggested, but Castiel did not have time to agree, as the front door opened, and exactly 7 figures filed into the café. Jayna swore again. Cas grimaced at her, thinking she was wasting time and energy on the words. "Can you incapacitate the baristas? Safely?" she asked the angel. She didn't want the bystanders hurt; if they could be just knocked unconscious, this would help. Cas assented, flicking his hand towards the counter, and the teens slid to the floor in a deep coma like slumber. As the vampires turned to look towards the counter, and the now missing baristas that had dropped to the floor, Cas motioned towards the door which locked with a distinct click, a gust of air flipping the OPEN sign to CLOSED. The faux tea lights and wall sconces flickered in unison.

The first vampire felt the surge on his cold skin, baring his teeth immediately, hissing, "Angel."

Jayna heard the sleek sound of Castiel's angel blade slide from his sleeve into his hand. He gripped it loosely as if it were simply a part of him, and surprised her as handed it over to her. Her skin was electrified by the weight of the angel blade in her hands as she grasped it in front of her, warrior-like. The vampires practically chuckled, "and a human." His voice dripped with condescension.

Cas stepped forward, silently, reviewing the vampires with curiosity. He could kill them with one touch, he just needed to get close enough. Stella and Roxi recognized this, but decided not to wait for Cas to move closer into harm's way. Roxi unsheathed her machete, Stella her gun. They moved in synchronized movements, smoothly as if choreographed. Roxi raised the blade over her head, swinging it broadly like a knight's sword, it cleanly took the head off of the two vampires closest to her. Stella fired three or four times into the vampire to her right. The shots were precise and well aimed, hitting the vamp once in the head and twice in the heart. The bullets hit the creature's body with a jolt, but that was all. The vampire's head spun to face her, hissing, baring its fangs and splattering her with spit.

"Those were silver bullets!" Stella gasped, futilely. Damn it, what she wouldn't give for the Colt. It could kill anything.

The vampire growled out a laugh, "Amateur!"

"Only decapitation can kill a vampire!" Roxi scolded her sister, wondering if she had paid attention when Dean gave them the killing creatures lessons.

There was a flash of ethereal light, partnered with the smell and sound of burning flesh, Castiel had grasped the forehead of the vampire closest to him, killing it instantly, Stella reacted quickly, "And angels apparently."

Jayna swung out towards another, slicing its throat, but not severing it completely, and having to swing out again, swearing the whole time. Once her first kill was completed successfully, Jayna swung the blade with more confidence, and was able to smite another with one blow, as one more fell to Cas's hands.

The vampire decided to stalk Stella, teasing her slightly, his gunshot wounds not inhibiting him at all. Following her fight instinct, Stella sent forth a mean right hook that struck the vamp distinctly in the mouth. It was like hitting solid stone. The pain in her knuckles radiating up her arm, Stella yelped back, erupting in a loud, "FUCK!" before the vampire lashed back at her with its own well placed punch. The vampire taunted her. Stella frantically reached for her dagger, even if it wouldn't be much help. However, Roxi appeared at her side, the head of the vamp falling to the ground in one swipe. "Thanks." Stella whispered.

"No time for that!" Jayna squealed, the remaining vampires of the coven were upon them, Jayna and Roxi swiping their blades out at anything that moved towards them, Cas approaching from behind with his smiting touch.

In between blows, Jayna noticed the helpless look upon Stella's face. Not that she was truly afraid, but rather she seethed with frustration at not being able to help in the fight. "Carrionites!" Jayna called out towards her. Realization blossomed in Stella immediately, she shot the nearest vampire in the heart just in case, hoping to slow it down for Cas, and she ducked into the brick hallway.

"Hurry. Start the incantation." She heard a woman's voice beneath the clamor of the battle in the café. Stella threw back the red curtain, revealing the Mother, Maiden and Crone circling a small iron cauldron simmering over what looked like a Bunsen burner type flame. The oldest woman was ancient, her face lined with deep cavernous folds. Her nose massive and hooked. She was the epitome of a Halloween witch costume come to life. It was slightly cliché, but Stella hid her disappointment. Stella raised her gun at the women. The mother shared the same nose, and wrinkled façade, although not as deeply cut, nor did she hunch over the cauldron, but stood tall. The Maiden, however, hadn't begun to wrinkle yet, there were no signs of advanced aging in her; just a high forehead with a crown of auburn tousled hair that needed a fair brushing.

"Stupid girl." The Crone sneered, raising her long clawed fingernailed hand up to dispel a spell to Stella.

"Stupid Carrionite." Stella enunciated every syllable clearly, the words hitting the trio with the force of a well aimed gunshot. Stella smiled at herself at the effect. Words as powerful as bullets. Mother and Crone hissed at her futilely, baring their teeth. Stella's breath stopped for a moment as she caught glimpse of their teeth. Each narrowing into a razor sharp point; yellow and brown as the tattered rags they were wearing. The Mother brought her tongue across each prickly edge to taunt the girl. The Maiden shifted her weight from one foot to the other as if considering her options.

Stella pulled the velvet bag out from her pocket, and spun the glass ball in the palm of her hand, "We have a little business to see to."

The Maiden stepped forward, her hands held in suppliance, "Sister," she spoke with a European accent that lilted over her syllables, "We can work together on a compromise that will be to your advantage." Her tone hinted at a covert plan, "We will gain much power, and we can use it to benefit you also. This we can do."

Stella paused for a moment, not considering the offer seriously, but wondering at the inclinations of the witch, what was it she had in mind? Curiosity stopped her hand. The maiden saw this and misinterpreted it as her weighing the proposition. She smiled deliberately, however Stella read the deceit in the look.

An abrupt scuffle announced Roxi's entrance into the back room, keeping diligent of her observance towards the hallway from which she came, along with taking in the scene before her: the witches, the orb, the cauldron, her sister aiming her firearm at the trio. An eruption of light haloed the hallway as Cas smited one last vampire. Roxi nodded to herself knowing this was done, "let's get on with this." She sneered, still not loosening her grip on the machete, nor letting her guard to relax.

Stella rolled her head on her neck as she cleared her mind, Preparing for the invocation that Aunt Jayna and she created, with a little research to the only other source they knew of on Carrionites – Shakespeare & Dr. Martha Smith-Jones. The words they chose were very close to those Dr. Jones cited herself, she called it Shakespeare's Code, with a little Latin twist.

"Close up this din of hateful dire decay  
>Decomposition of your witch's plot.<br>Three Carrionite spectres, cease your squall  
>Between the points I force way your foul fall<p>

ad capiendum imperium

in saecula saeculorum "

(Sam roughly translated this to "capturing their power for eternity.")

The crone was the first to call out in rage and what seemed to be pain, as she attempted to throw a spell Stella's way. But the continual use of the name "Carrionite" only furthered the conquering of the witches' power. The Mother hissed again, grabbing at her own head and neck, writhing in agony. Roxi was transfixed, mesmerized for a moment with the feat. The Maid called out to her ancestors, fretting over their gradual slow demise, as they seemed to fade away in a spire of green smoke. She seemed to flicker herself, and for a moment the sisters thought she would endure and succeed in the hex she sputtered from her quivering weakened lips.

Roxi stepped closer to her sister, steeling her defensive stance, the blade held out in front of her, knowing however that it would not protect her from the black magic that this creature would conjure. Stella steadied her grip on her pistol, leaning her pistol hand on the arm of the hand that still held the orb, aiming it on the witch, and wondering if she should shoot before the last words of the Maid's spell were uttered, but she quickly repeated the Latin stanza of the invocation, "ad capiendum imperium - in saecula saeculorum!"

With a shudder, and much like a light being shut off, the Maid was gone. Not even a hint of green smoke lingered in her wake.

Roxi exhaled loudly, with a bit of a nervous chuckle escaping at the same time at the liberation of it all. Stella slowly lowered her weapon and stared at the glass ball that swirled with a marbleized green and grey hue. It simmered with an internal warmth that neither comforted nor burned her. They exchanged glances, sentiments passing wordlessly between them. Relief mixed with the newborn fear that still bubbled on top of their emotions. In the confusion and the pinnacle of action they didn't have time to feel the fear that was appropriate for the occasion, and now it hit them along with its companion relief. Roxi clasped her sister's shoulder in affection as Stella carefully slipped the ball into its velvet bag.

"There!" Stella said abruptly, shaking her sister's hand off her shoulder, not in a callus way, but rather to turn her attention. Stella was winded and her pulse raced, but her mind still hummed at the task at hand. Roxi followed her where her sister was pointing. On a shelf behind the simmering cauldron. The shelf was lined with herbs and odd ingredients, some typical coffee shop items: sugar, cinnamon, vanilla syrup. Others unlabeled and foreboding. Tucked between a bottle of Hazelnut flavoring, and a bag of coffee beans, was a green tinged doll made of white tattered fabric, "Betcha that's Sam's shirt."

Roxi pushed herself off of a nearby chair, jumping over the table, landing in front of the shelves. Another bound, and she was able to reach the make-shift doll on the shelf that would normally be out of someone her height's reach. Flipping the doll in her hand, she recognized the shape of a man. Two arms, Two legs, a head. It was rudimentary but it was definitely a human form. A flick of her wrist and the doll fell into the fire, melting and sizzling its way into nonexistence.

The sound of air moving swiftly filled their ears as they were made aware of the angel materializing (or dematerializing?). "Where did he go?" Roxi wondered out loud as they scurried towards the sound.


	5. Chapter 5

Dean was seated at one of the library tables, trying to figure out a Chinese puzzle ball that Jayna had given him. He had disassembled it twice already, but was only able to put it back together once, by what he thought was pure luck. He picked up each wooden piece and laid it against another, switching pieces each time. Sam clicked away on his laptop. They both were trying their best to not pace the room waiting to hear from the girls. Every so often Dean would ask Sam, "Remember anything yet?" The answer was always an annoyed shake of Sam's head without looking off the monitor screen.

Dean heard the familiar whooshing of Cas's arrival first. "Cas" he announced sprinting towards the corridor where the sound had come from. Sam followed dutifully.

Cas's trench coat and white shirt was splattered with blood, but the real concern was the folded mass in his arms that seemed to be Jayna Somers. Cas gently carried her to her bedroom, Sam and Dean on his heels, barraging him with questions, "What happened? Are you Ok? Is she ok? Who's blood is that?"

"Vampires." Cas said as he took a big breath, placing the stirring Jayna on her bed. She too was covered in blood.

"Son of a Bitch!" Dean muttered, stomping his foot angrily.

Cas started to explain, "Jayna is hurt…"

But by then Jayna was awake, she glanced wildly about the room, grabbing out to the Angel who still was hovering over her, she pulled him by the shirt collar to just inches away from her face, "YOU GO BACK AND GET THOSE GIRLS." Her tone left nothing to be misinterpreted. Cas looked almost offended. It was a direct order, and no other course of action would be acceptable. If Cas acknowledged her demand, it went unheard or unseen, because he was gone.

"Where are you hurt?" Sam asked, the room now angel-less.

"I'm fine. I just need a shower." Jayna managed, easing herself towards the edge of the bed.

Sam attempted to correct her, "You were unconscious when you got here."

Dean added, "You are covered in blood."

"I …. Think its all Vampire blood. I don't know how many I killed. Me and Roxi and Cas."

"What about Stella?" Sam wondered.

"She wasn't armed for vampires. All she had was the gun and that small dagger." Dean remembered, somewhat cursing himself for this lack of preparation.

"She went after the Carrionites." Jayna made her way towards the bathroom. Sam scrutinized her as she walked, looking for signs of injuries.

"Cas said you were hurt." Dean interrupted her path to the bathroom.

Jayna attempted to take a deep breath, and winced profoundly; she held her hand sharply to her side, "Definitely a few broken ribs." She turned her head right and left , shaking it slightly, "slight concussion. That's probably why I was unconscious." She side stepped Dean, to the shower. She began peeling her clothes off, not caring that the brothers were at the other side of the open door.

Dean looked over his shoulder towards her. Sam jostled him reproachfully, as he slid his hand onto the doorknob, closing it, securing her privacy, "I'll be right here. Just call if you need anything." He said through the closed door.

* * *

><p>Sam knocked on the bathroom door, and listened. The water was running, steam billowed out from under the door. Beneath the sound of the running water he could hear the unmistakable sound of a woman sobbing. He touched his fingers gently to the door, debating whether he should open it or not. It was the sudden crash of the shower curtain falling to the ground as Jayna collapsed into it that spurned him into action. He nearly ignored the fact that she was naked, he just moved instinctively, shut the water off with one hand and attempted to wrap Jayna in her bathrobe that was hanging on a nearby hook.<p>

"I'm okay. I'm okay. I just got a little dizzy." She managed. Sam assented but still helped her to her feet. As she continued to cover herself in her bathrobe, Sam adjusted the shower curtain back in its place.

Jayna realized tears were still spilling down her cheeks, "I was so scared, Sammy." She admitted, walking away from the hunter not wanting to face him with her confession fresh on her lips. "I mean really scared. Not just tentatively nervous. I was literally scared to death, but all I could do is move forward with the plan, There were so many vampires. So much blood. and…" the tears got the best of her and her voice dissolved into a snivel.

Sam followed Jayna across the room, he could see her body involuntarily shaking. She wrapped the robe around her tighter to warm her from the chill that wasn't leaving. He offered some solace, "You are experiencing an adrenaline dump. The hunt causes your adrenaline to go through the roof, it keeps you going. It saves you. But then once it's done, you feel like your body has been thrown down an elevator shaft."

"No, Sam." She looked into his face searchingly, "You don't understand, you are a hunter. You were born into this, and brought up with it, and it just comes naturally to you." He looked away, almost embarrassed, he wished the words she spoke were not true, she continued; "I am not a Hunter." She sat in the desk chair with a bit dramatic slump, "I am not … a hunter."

Sam kneeled in front of Jayna, his hands at her knees, soothing her skin, "Its okay, Jayna. Not everyone can be a hunter. And that's okay. That's nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes, sometimes… we all wish we weren't…"

"do you ever get scared, Sam?" she asked reaching out for a glimpse of common ground.

"Of course. Oh Jayna, of course I get scared. All the time. Sometimes, I feel like I am never not afraid, that my entire life is just …fear, with little glimpses of hope." He managed a slight smile at his own epiphany.

"All I could think of was those girls. How I got them into this. How stupid I was to think that …" Sammy interrupted her as he put his hand to her cheek, gently wiping her tears with his thumb, his own eyes filling up from empathy.

"Stop Jayna." He whispered, "you can't do that. You brought them here to teach them how to defend themselves from these things. No one is safe from these kinds of creatures, the best we can do is to know how to fight them. And you gave them that." He kissed her forehead, a platonic affectionate gesture, "They will be ok. Cas is going to bring them back, fine." He lingered at her brow, realizing that her skin was much cooler than it should be. Clammy. He pulled away, she was pale. She stopped making eye contact with him, glazing over somewhat and looked down into her lap, as if she were lost in thought. He noticed she was taking quick short breaths, shallow and unfulfilling. "Jayna…" Sam brought his hand to the nape of her neck to bring her attention back to him. Her robe was sticky and wet there. When he pulled his hand away, it was smeared with blood.

"Shit. Shit. Shit." He muttered, lifting her from the chair and placing her on the bed, Jayna faded, consciousness leaving her slowly, "Dean! Dean!" he called out.

Cas had just arrived with the girls in tow. The library teemed with the squeals of the returning new hunters.

Panic rose in Sam's throat. Jayna was bleeding, and nearly unconscious. He tore the robe from her shoulders, revealing a half moon gash in her neck. His mind spun, racing from one theory to another. Bitten. The vamps. Blood poured from the wound in rivers. It wasn't a typical vampire bite, used for sustenance, but rather a brutal ragged ripping of her flesh by the razor fangs. Probably out of self-defense. At least she wasn't dead. They mustn't have drunk much from her, or else she would be dead. He heard the commotion in the library. Cas. Cas was back.

From the doorway, he bellowed for Castiel, his voice exuding the panic that he felt in his veins.

* * *

><p>"It was unbelievable." Roxi called out as she appeared with the Angel and her sister. Cas looked exhausted and spent. He slumped against the wall as he finally let go of the girls. Stella smoothed his arm, helping him remove his blood spattered coat, and to sit in a chair.<p>

"there were, what? 13 vampires?!" Roxi paced the room, her chaotic nervous energy getting the best of her, her adrenaline still kicked into high gear. Dean couldn't help but smile and listen intently, however he did force her to sit and he dabbed some peroxide on her battered knuckles, and split lip She began a play by play of each vampire, each slice of her blade, each punch or kick thrown, any gunshots that rang out in vain. Her voice was loud, her laughs boorish.

In between her telling of the adventure, Sam's voice came from the hallway, yelling for Cas's presence.

Stella couldn't help but notice someone was missing. "Where's Jayna?"

Dean seemed to ignore the question, but had strategically placed himself in the entrance to the hallway. "Why don't you sit down, let me look at that arm." Stella's left arm was ripped open with four distinct claw marks, blood dripping from each of them, but she was nearly immune to the pain at that point.

"Dean." Stella said warningly, as she stepped around the older brother, "Where's my aunt?" Dean flanked her, holding out his arm in efforts to stop her as she stormed down to Jayna's bedroom door.

"It's ok. Cas is with her. She's going to be ok." Stella didn't like Dean's tone. He was tentative and slightly patronizing, almost as if talking to a child.

Stella glared at him as she pounded on the door, "Cas's grace is weak. He had to carry both of us here, and Jayna - separately." She pounded on the door again, angrily, "Let me see my aunt, Dean." Her voice got increasingly louder with each word.

There was a click of glasses from down the hall, Dean recognized the sound of liquor being poured from the bottle into the crystal glasses. He bellowed down the hallway, " you are NOT of age!"

"I just beheaded a dozen vampires, I think I've more than earned it!" Roxi heard the man's warning, but didn't heed it.

Dean was torn between the sisters, feeling pulled in both directions, "Roxi, get away from the whiskey, damn it!" He huffed towards the doorway. Stella only took this opportunity to bang on the door louder. With a grunt of frustration, Dean pulled the older sisters legs out from under her, hoisting her onto his shoulder like a large bag of barley, and carried her back to the library. Stella kicking and hitting him in protest the entire way.

Stella wasn't deterred; she balked towards the hallway again once her feet hit the ground. Dean shoved her unceremoniously into the chair, "Sit" he commanded relentlessly.

Roxi had poured herself a fist worth of whiskey, and was standing with the amber glass in her hand. She had taken one mouthful and was trying to decide if she could handle another. Dean removed the glass from her fingers, growled at her for taking his whiskey and not listening to him, and swallowed the contents in one elongated gulp.

She frowned at him, but finally caught on, "What's wrong with Aunt Jayna?"

Sam had reentered the library finally. Neither Cas not Aunt Jayna with him, "She's going to be fine. Cas is with her." Sam updated them.

Stella felt her anger rising again, this time more at herself than the brothers. Her voice was edgy and raw, "How did we not know she was hurt?"

"It was a little crazy. I barely knew if I was hurt." Roxi excused. She looked down at her own body. Vamp blood was splattered on her arms and shirt. She touched her curls, she grimaced realizing there were pasty globs there too. She decided she needed more of that whiskey if she could just get that Winchester away from it.

Dean explained, refilling the glass, for himself, "The adrenaline gets the best of you during a hunt. It happens."

Like a sudden busted pipe, Stella began sobbing. Messy loud, snuffling tears. Even Roxi is taken by surprise, although she patted her sister's shoulder comfortingly. Her system had just had enough. Stress and excitement from the vampire conflict, the Carrionite capturing, and then Aunt Jayna. Her brain was tired and overwhelmed. The emotion she felt closer to the surface was anger. Blistering, scorching anger. And the only way out was through tears. The big puppy dog eyes of Sam Winchester looking over the girls in a worried empathetic manner didn't help even if he said, trying to be soothing, "Really. She's ok. Cas was able to fix her up."

Dean stared at him questioning if he was telling the truth. Sam added, almost as an aside to his brother, "She lost a lot of blood. When I went to sew her up, I realized that it was worse than any hunter's first aid kit. If I closed the wound, she could still bleed internally. I think they nicked an artery, (Stella gasped, her sobs taking a break for air) But Cas took care of it." He faced the girls, "Honestly. She is going to be fine."

Dean interrupted, "she got bit?" Sam nodded. They both knew that if she was going to die from the bite, she would have been dead already. The vamp would have drained her until she expired. Period.

"Let. Me. See. Her." The older sister said sternly with a sense of finality. She dried her eyes with a fierce hand swipe across her face.

Cas appeared at the doorway, "She is sleeping."

"Fine." Stella breezed past the Winchesters with an aggressive air. They were not stopping her this time, she wouldn't have it. She did however hesitate in front of the angel. Stella leered into the angel's jewel blue eyes to discern if he would be honest, she was confidant he would be, "Is she really ok?" , he nodded, sensing that the girl was teetering on panic. Different kind of tears welled up in her eyes this time, tears of gratitude, "Thank you Castiel." She whispered, her voice cracking somewhat. She wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling her face into his chest, hugging him tightly to her, "Thank God for you." Castiel appreciated the reference to his father, and held his hand to her head, mingling his fingers in her tousled hair. Castiel kissed the top of Stella's head then, a motion he had seen performed many times before, and he knew it was appropriate at this time, mostly because he felt compelled to do it. Stella gifted the angel with a weak smile in return before jogging down the hall to her aunt's bedroom.


	6. Chapter 6

Roxi gleamed as they made their way to the car, readying for the trip back to their respective colleges, "I'm trying to convince her to let us stop on the way home at a tattoo parlor. I'm thinking of getting one of those anti-possession tats like you two have."

Sam and Dean nodded to each other, each cocking an eyebrow in approval, they didn't think that was a bad idea.

"Maybe not in the same spot though." Stella winced, thinking about her sister showing off her cleavage like she usually does, and having a protection tat out there like a billboard.

Sam agreed, putting the bags in the trunk for the gals, "Maybe on your hip like Jayna has it." He said it so nonchalantly and casual that no one seemed to notice. Except Dean, who spun his head to glare at his brother for a moment. Ignoring him, Sam hugged Roxi and Stella and then in turn embraced Jayna. Jayna smiled sweetly up at the taller Winchester, patting his cheek in an almost maternal gesture. Sam placed his hand on hers, holding it to his cheek, "We'll keep in touch."

"You better." Jayna snipped back. She forced Dean to hug her and Castiel too.

Before Stella got in the car, she warned Cas to take care of himself, and his grace. Roxi however waited until she was the only one standing with the boys. She had hugged and kissed everyone goodbye already, but she turned back to Dean; jumping herself up into his arms once again, he caught her in the air with an exhale of air, and an "ooowf"

"Dean Winchester, You better text me once in awhile!" she giggled, "I want to know all about your demon adventures, you hear!?"

Once the car was out of site, and the girls' waves could no longer be seen, Dean muttered to Sam, "So, you remember her now, huh?"

Sam gave his brother one of his favorite shut up looks, but Cas was surprised, "Shouldn't you tell her?"

Sam only laughed and shook his head, "Believe me, she knows."


End file.
